FARGO (KFGO) – Project consultants presented preliminary design plans for the new Red River Regional Dispatch Center to Cass County Commissioners Monday.
Local leaders have been working on plans for a new dispatch center for several years. They have said the current facility in downtown Fargo is crowded and has safety concerns. The dispatch center serves Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Cass, and Clay Counties.
The design report said the total cost of the project is estimated at $13 million. While there’s progress, there are some questions. County Commissioner Chad Peterson said there are “needless expenditures” in the preliminary design and costs are inflating quickly, including fees for the services of the architects.
Brian Bergstrom, who is with one of the consulting firms for the project told commissioners the cost may be higher than expected but the amount is not what he called a “take it or leave it number” and is open to discussions.
Detailed designs are expected to be released later and in a “best case scenario,” Bergstrom said bids for the project could go out in midsummer.
The dispatch center is planned on a two-and-a-half acre site east of the Sanford Medical Center, along Agassiz Crossing South, near the Ronald McDonald House.
